a) Field of the Invention
The invention is based on a retrograde cutting hook punch in which one jaw member, which is operated by a traction and thrust rod, is mounted to be pivotably movable in a retrograde direction in the distal end of the other jaw member, which is rigidly fixed to the barrel, of the kind known from DE-GM 8 712 271 and GE-OS 35 23 022.
b) Description of the Prior Art
These known instruments which operate in the retrograde direction are used to remove pieces of tissue or even to take away foreign bodies but they are of only limited suitability for arthroscopy because the space available in the knee-joint for inserting cutters through a trocar cannula is only very small and thus permits only a very limited amount of manipulation. Hence a number of different instruments are needed for operations in the knee-joint and it is generally also necessary for a number of incisions to be made.
The main object of the present invention is to enable the major part of an operation in a knee-joint to be dealt with, and above all the critical region of the joint to be operated on all in one procedure, with a single retrograde cutting hook punch, and hence the need for a plurality of incisions in the knee-joint may be avoided.